WEATHER in November this year was a mixed bag of rain, sunshine, calm and cold with a record matching low of 48 and a high of 88 degrees, including beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Early forecasts for a busy hurricane season for this year did not materialize and overall the weather was mostly excellent with just a few squally days causing no loss of fishing time.
TARPON caught were most often in the baby tarpon category running ten to twenty five pounds with a few up to 50 lbs. Several resident big ones around 80 pounds were seen and jumped but not landed. Small tarpon were caught mostly sight fishing in clear water near the mangroves in the cayes and on shallow mud flats and also when seen rolling in creeks and canals in the Sibun, Belize River and in Black Creek. Green & white, blue & white and orange butt Deceivers, Black Death, and Big Eye tarpon flies got the best action. Several new BRL anglers fishing caught their first tarpon. Of course, they were very excited and shared their Tarpon experience with other guests over appetizers.
SNOOK in November is usually a safe bet and those anglers that could hit the spot were duly rewarded again this month with some really nice catches. Best catch was a 20 pounder; this fish must have wanted her picture taken and seemed to escort the school of smaller fish out into an open flat leaving the safety of nearby mangrove roots. Bend Backs, Deceivers and poppers were productive.
PERMIT opportunities for some anglers during the month made permit fishing look easy when the weather was good. It does not happen very often but luck and skill on a one day fishing trip produced a catch of four (4) permit! But don’t hold us to this record.
BONES as usual were generally easy to find and many anglers new to salt water experienced the excitement of these ghosts of the flats. Most bones ran about three pounds and a good number were caught in the five to six pound range.
SPIN CASTING with Excalibur poppers, Slug-Gos, floating and sinking Yozuris worked on snook and tarpon during this time. Most bones and even a few permit were caught on Wiggle Jigs.
OTHER fish caught included barracudas, several types of snappers, bat fish, needle fish, puffer fish, grouper, sharks, a 20 pound Jack Crevalle and many smaller ones.
Manatees were seen regularly as well as dolphins and Spotted Eagle Rays. While fishing up river, wild life seen included howler monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, a great many species of birds including the very large Jabiru stork and the Oropendula with their long hanging nests.
Mike took a few days off in November for a mothership trip. He got some very nice pictures of sunsets including silhouettes of an angler fly casting into the sunset as well as pictures of the full moon rise. A 50 pound tarpon with seven jumps (and seven bows) was Mike’s best catch. For a view of some of his spectacular pictures, please visit out website at http://www.belizeriverlodge.com/whats_new.php
Before finishing our fishing report, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season and a wonderful 2007.
Belize River Lodge is very easy to get to:
American Airlines: Miami and Dallas; Continental Airlines: Houston and Newark; Delta Airlines: Atlanta; US Airways: Charlotte, NC; TACA: Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Then just 15 minutes from Belize Airport to the lodge
Hope to see you in 2007!
